Theories of sustainability attempt to evaluate and integrate social responses to architectural, environmental and cultural challenges. The concept of sustainability raises a basic question: „Can human activity successfully maintain itself without exhausting the resources on which it depends?“

Milestones achieved in understanding sustainability include: „Limit of Growth“ 1972; „Our common Future“ 1987; „Bottom Up versus Top Down“ as economic models; „Biodiversity“ as an ecological model and „Autonomous Self-Sufficiency“ as a political model.

Today, best practice begins with grassroot approaches to Sustainable Design Methods that explore and analyse single aspects of a program. These economical, ecological and human centered concepts are evaluated and synthesized, resulting in a modern and future orientated spirit of design.

Sustainable Design Methods is powered by Studio Peter Ruge at DIA - Dessau Institute of Architecture, Hochschule Anhalt.